The department will get more than a year’s free rent from the landlord, Jericho-based Metropolitan Realty Associates, and will eventually pay less than it pays at its current offices at 220 and 225 Rabro Drive in Hauppauge.

“By identifying this office complex and moving health department headquarters to Great River, we’ve secured significant free rent, which will save county taxpayers more than a million dollars,” Suffolk County Executive Steve Levy said in a statement. “In 2013, when we begin paying rent, it will be less than $950,000, a significant reduction compared to the $1.3 million we currently pay annually.”

Newmark Knight Frank’s Brian Lee, who represents Suffolk County with Jack O’Connor and Daniel Oliver, said the Great River building presented a terrific opportunity by providing a turnkey buildout, and enabling the department to increase efficiency and upgrade the county’s space without incurring any upfront cost.